How to Satisfy Your Soul
Introduction
Bernhard Langer was one of the best golfers of his generation, twice winning the US Masters and at one time topping the world golf rankings. He said, ‘I had… won seven events in five different continents; I was number one in the world and I had a beautiful young wife. Yet there was something missing.
‘The lifestyle we all (especially us sportsmen) are leading – it is all about money and who you are and who you know and what you have and these things aren’t really the most important things. I think people who have these things, they realise that… there is still something missing in their life and I believe that is Jesus Christ.’
The spiritual emptiness that Bernhard Langer is describing is common to all humanity. One young woman said to me that she felt there was ‘a chunk missing in her soul’. You are not simply body and mind. You are a soul created for relationship with God. How then do you satisfy your soul?
Psalm 63:1–8
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Commentary
Seek God day and night
Spiritual ‘food’ is just as real as physical food and it satisfies us in a way that cannot be satisfied by anything physical.
David was in the desert. He knew what physical thirst and physical hunger were like. But he also knew and experienced spiritual thirst: ‘My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water’ (v.1). And he knew what it was like for his spiritual hunger to be satisfied: ‘My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods’ (v.5a).
His spiritual hunger and thirst are satisfied as he worships God: ‘So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory’ (v.2, MSG).
He lifts his hands as an expression of adoration, reverence and surrender: ‘Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands’ (vv.3–4). Lifting up hands is the oldest gesture of prayer. As Pope (Emeritus) Benedict wrote, ‘This gesture is the radical form of worship... To open oneself to God, to surrender oneself completely to him.’
What do you do when you can’t sleep or you have wakeful moments in the night? David says that he worships and praises God, ‘I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches’ (v.6, AMP).
As he pours out his heart in worship day and night to God, David discovers strength and support. He writes, ‘Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me’ (vv.7–8).
Prayer
John 10:22–42
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered round him, saying, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’
25 Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep27 ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.’
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ 33 ‘We are not stoning you for any good work,’ they replied, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’
34 Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, “I have said you are ‘gods’”? 35 If he called them “gods”, to whom the word of God came – and Scripture cannot be set aside – 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, “I am God’s Son”? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.’ 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptising in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, ‘Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.’ 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Commentary
Communicate with God through Jesus
How do you and I communicate with God?
Communication with Jesus is communication with God. Those who met Jesus understood he was claiming to be God (v.33). When he said, ‘I and the Father are one’ (v.30) and ‘the Father is in me, and I in the Father’ (v.38), there was no ambiguity in the ears of his hearers. His opponents understood it as blasphemy – ‘because you, a mere human being, claim to be God’ (v.33) – and they picked up stones to stone him (vv.31–33).
Jesus communicated with his disciples and he continues to communicate with us. He says, ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me’ (v.27). We see here the marks of a true Christian:
1. Believing in Jesus
There is a contrast in this passage between those who ‘believed in Jesus’ (v.42) and those who ‘do not believe’ (vv.25–26). Belief in Jesus means believing in him when he says, ‘I am God’s Son’ (v.36) and putting your trust in him.
2. Knowing Jesus
Jesus says, ‘my sheep listen to my voice. I know them…’ (v.27). To be a Christian is to recognise and follow the voice of Jesus. This is what defines a Christian – not so much knowledge about Jesus, but actually knowing him. This is then followed up by the wonderful declaration that Jesus also knows us.
3. Following Jesus
Jesus says, ‘they follow me’ (v.27). It affects your life. As Jesus said elsewhere, ‘By their fruit you will recognise them’ (Matthew 7:16,20). James wrote, ‘Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ (James 2:17). The primary evidence of faith is love. Those who follow Jesus will follow his example of love.
Jesus promises every true Christian: ‘I give them eternal life’ (John 10:28). This is not just about quantity of life; it is also about quality. Jesus satisfies our spiritual hunger and thirst. In a relationship with Jesus we find this deep soul satisfaction that cannot be found anywhere else.
Jesus promises that this relationship with him will go on for ever. It starts now, but it is ‘eternal’ (v.28). Those who follow Jesus will ‘never perish’ (v.28). This is a gift (‘I give them eternal life’, v.28). It cannot be earned, nor can it be lost. Jesus promises, ‘no one can snatch them out of my hand… no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand’ (vv.28–29).
There may be many struggles and temptations along the way, but ultimately the hand of Jesus and the hand of the Father are engaged together in protecting you. A Christian may lose their job, their money, their family, their liberty and even their life, but they can never lose eternal life.
Prayer
1 Samuel 1:10–20, 2:26
1
10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.
13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk…
15 ‘Not so, my lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.’
17 Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’
18 She said, ‘May your servant find favour in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
2
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the LORD and with people.
Commentary
Pour out your heart and soul to God
Is there something you want desperately from God?
It is almost inevitable that at times in our lives we will feel ‘distress of soul’ (1:10, AMP). Never allow bitterness to eat away in your heart – but, like Hannah, pour it out to the Lord. ‘Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried – inconsolably’ (v.10, MSG).
There is nothing more releasing than to pour out your soul before the Lord – to tell him what your problems are, rather than carrying them around yourself – and to ask him for the solution, and then to receive the peace of God (Philippians 4:6–7).
Relief from her anguish comes to Hannah long before she actually sees the answer to her prayer.
This is a beautiful picture of heartfelt prayer from the depth of the soul. ‘As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard’ (1 Samuel 1:12–13a). Eli accuses her of being drunk. She replies, ‘Not so, my lord… I am a woman who is deeply troubled… I was pouring out my soul to the LORD… I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief’ (vv.15–16).
Eli tells her, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him’ (v.17). And as she left her face was no longer downcast: ‘She ate heartily, her face radiant’ (v.18, MSG). She knew deep down that God had heard her prayer and, indeed, ‘the LORD remembered her’ (v.19). In fact, God more than answered her prayer. Not only did he give her the child she longed for, she gave birth to six children (2:21).
Meanwhile, ‘the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the LORD and with people’ (v.26). This is the prayer we have prayed so often for our children.
Hannah’s prayer after Samuel’s birth is a vivid demonstration of the soul satisfaction that she experiences through her relationship with God. She prays and thanks God that ‘those who were hungry hunger no more’ (v.5).
The amazing revelation in Hannah’s prayer is that the supreme source of her joy is not her child, but in the Lord. She says, ‘My heart rejoices in the Lord’ (v.1). He is the source of soul satisfaction:
‘I’m walking on air... God brings life... he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives’ (vv.1,6,8, MSG).
Prayer
Pippa adds
1 Samuel 1:1–2:26
I’ve always been rather worried about Hannah and Samuel. Hannah chose to give up her son, Samuel, and he went off to live with an old priest and his two wicked sons – not an ideal nurturing situation.
I’ve wondered how many years Hannah could get away with feeding Samuel before he was fully weaned. Hopefully, it was at least ten years!
Yet, in spite of the fact that it was not an ideal parenting situation for Samuel – and probably not much fun or football or family games – Samuel grew up with God, knowing God and learning to hear his voice.
It is a relief that a child can do well even if our parenting is far from perfect.
Verse of the Day
John 10:27
‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me’.
Thought for the Day
A Christian may lose their job, their money, their family, their liberty and even their life, but they can never lose eternal life.
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References
Bernhard Langer, http://www.thegoal.com/players/golf/langer\\_bernhard/langer\\_bernhard.html \[last accessed April 2021).
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000), pp.203-4
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.